Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SIMULATOR FOR FRONT-LOADED BARREL WEAPONS
The present invention refers to a simulator for front-loaded
barrel weapons according to the preamble of claim 1, as well
as to suitable ammunition therefor.
Simulation systems for the training of the operation of
military weapons systems offer different advantages and are
therefore of increasing interest. Amongst other things,
fewer security precautions or none at all are required while
in the training with real large-range weapons systems, in
addition to the severe security precautions for the
trainees, large areas, which in some cases can be difficult
to find, have to be closed in order to avoid personal and
material damages. Ultimately, the training on simulators
generally involves lower costs and may therefore be
performed more intensely. Also, simulators allow the
practice of situations which can only be trained in reality
with great complications or not at all, such as the
influence of the weather, or shooting in developed areas.
In the case of weapons systems requiring relatively
expensive ammunition, e.g. front-loaded barrel weapons such
as mine throwers, shell throwers, and rocket launchers,
reusable ammunition is particularly advantageous.
Inter alia, known mine thrower simulator projects suffer
from the fact that decisive aspects of the simulation do not
correspond to reality, thereby inducing dangerous errors in
the operation of real systems. In known constructions,
after firing, the shot, i.e. the mine, grenade, illuminating
grenade etc. is still in the barrel, from where it must be
removed. To this end, it is suggested to pull out the shot
from the barrel by means of a suitable tool. On one hand,
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in reality, this manipulation is extremely dangerous, and on
the other hand, such a mine thrower simulator does not allow
to practice serial fire where the shots are fired in the
fastest possible succession.
Another suggestion consists in the automatic ejection of the
grenades. One possibility is to use a very weak propelling
charge, while another possibility is to provide a spring or
pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders or the like. The first
possibility is noisy and involves the consumption of
propelling charges, and the latter one requires the manual
or motorised bending of the spring or the generation of the
pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, respectively. However, a
power driven bending or respective generation of the pressure in
turn requires a relatively strong energy source, which is
generally not available in a realistic training in the
terrain. In any case, all these ejection techniques again
require security precautions as the grenades are ejected to
a distance of some meters. Also, in the case of a bad
landing e.g. on the tail fin, the expensive simulation
grenade may be damaged or destroyed, and the fuse in the
point may be damaged even in a regular landing. Ultimately,
it will be noted that the practice mines or grenades must be
laboriously located and collected after the training.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
simulator for front-loaded barrel weapons which allows a
realistic training of the operation while avoiding at least
one of the above-mentioned drawbacks.
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2a
This object is attained by a simulator for front-
loaded barrel weapons, preferably for mine or grenade
launchers, wherein the lower end of the launcher tube is
provided with an outlet opening allowing a respective
projectile to drop out.
In one embodiment the launcher tube and/or the
support of the mine thrower are provided with measuring
means, comprise at least one of: a position measuring
device, more particularly one which operates according to
the GPS method, in order to determine the geographic
position; an inclination measuring device in order to
determine the elevation of the launcher tube; and a
direction measuring device, preferably one that operates
according to the compass principle; in order to determine
the actual alignment of the launcher tube.
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The invention will be explained by means of an exemplary
embodiment with reference to the figures.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a side elevation of a mine
thrower simulator;
FIG. 2 shows the evaluating unit;
FIG. 3 schematically shows a partial cross-section of a
mine thrower simulator;
FIG. 4 shows a side elevation of a shot for the mine
thrower simulator;
FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the mine thrower simulator
of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 shows the block diagram of the electronics of a
simulation shot; and
FIG. 7 shows the block diagram of the electronics of the
mine thrower simulator.
With respect to its appearance, mine thrower simulator 1 of
the invention resembles a "real" mine thrower: launcher tube
3 is pivotably mounted on base plate 2. The upper portion
of launcher tube 3 is movably connected to post 5 by a
sighting and adjusting unit 4. Since for the purpose of the
simulation, the alignment of launcher tube 3 is measured by
an electronic compass, inter alia, the simulator is largely
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made of an antimagnetic material in the area of the compass,
especially base plate 2 and launcher tube 3, in order not to
disturb the magnetic field of the earth. This material may
e.g. be aluminium, an aluminium alloy, or brass.
The lower end of launcher tube 3 is provided with outlet
opening 7 from which grenade 8 drops out at the lower end of
launcher tube after having been inserted by the trainee.
The small falling height largely prevents damages of grenade
8. Additionally, a padding such as e.g. a mat may be
provided under opening 7 in order to further reduce the risk
with respect to grenades 8.
Previously mentioned alignment measuring unit 6 comprises an
electronic magnet compass for the direction (azimuth) and an
angular measuring system (inclinometer) for the
determination of the elevation and the tilting angle of
launcher tube 3. The alignment measuring unit is mounted
along with a radio data transmitting unit 9 and a GPS unit
10 for the determination of the position of the simulator on
a support 11 which is attached to launcher tube 3.
The determination of the geographic position and of the
elevation and the tilting angle is easily possible with
sufficient precision with currently available components.
The determination of the direction, however, is problematic.
Up to now, in numerous tests, a sufficient precision could
only be achieved by the mentioned magnetic compass sensor.
However, it is not excluded that different sensor types are
used in the future while the requirements are possibly
reduced, as the case may be. The assumed limit with respect
to the angular precision is 10 artillery oo, equivalent to a
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ciispersion of <_ 10 m at a range of 1 km, or to an angular
resolution of 1/20 at the launcher tube. As it is well known in
Switzerland, the term "artillery %o" refers to a system of
measurement where a fuli circle is divided into 6400 %o. Thus, 10
artillery %o refers to 10/6400 of angular rotation.
The inside of launcher tube 3 accommodates evaluating unit
12 including a disadjusting device, and a battery 13 serving
for the power supply of the mine thrower simulator. All
these measuring and control modules 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 are
mutually connected by power supply, signalling and data
lines 2.1.
The disadjusting device, e.g. in the form of an eccentric
drive, simultaneously represents the connection between
launcher tube 3 and bearing ball 14 resting on base plate 2.
After each shot, the disadjusting device is activated by
evaluating unit 12 in order to alter the alignment of the
launcher tube. In this manner, the disadjustment is
simulated, i.e. the effect of the concussion of a real mine
thrower at the time of the shot.
The data obtained by thrower evaluating unit 12 are radio
transmitted at every shot by transmitter unit 15 to an
evaluating device 16 (FIG. 2). Evaluating device 16 is
generally in the custody of the trainer and serves for the
supervision of the correct operation of the mine thrower
simulator, on one hand, and performs a calculation of the
trajectory and of the virtual point of impact of the shot,
on the other hand. Device 16 may e.g. be a portable
computer ("laptop") provided with a corresponding receiver.
FIG. 3 shows a section of mine thrower simulator 1 in an
enlarged illustration. A grenade 8 is in the process of
sliding down within launcher tube 3. Its lower end carries
an optical transmitter 17 which allows the transmission of
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data from the firing control within grenade 8 in the form of
light signals 18. These light signals 18 are detected by
optical receiver 19 and supplied to launcher control 12 for
evaluation. Since transmitter 17 transmits a light cone of
a suitably selected opening angle, the intensity of the
light signal detected by receiver 19 increases as grenade 8
is approaching. This dependence of the intensity in
function of the distance is used in order to detect a
grenade sliding down within tube 3 (as opposed to a grenade
which is introduced into the tube end prior to firing and
which is still being held). The disappearance of the light
signal when grenade 8 falls from outlet opening 7 may serve
to trigger the simulation of the shot, i.e. as an equivalent
to the ignition of the propelling charge of a real grenade.
Guiding plates 20 are provided in the area of outlet opening
7 which guide grenade 8 out of the tube even if launcher
tube 3 is in an almost vertical position. Guiding plates 20
comprise a passage or a window for light signal 18.
FIGs. 4 and 5 show a grenade 8 in an enlarged view. It is
essentially composed of body 31, fuse 32 and tail unit 33
with additional charges in the form of plates 34. As in a
real grenade, fuse 32 is screwed into body 31. By a mark at
the end of the fuse which is screwed into body 31, firing
control 35 (FIG. 7) is capable of recognising the actual
type of fuse (contact, retarded, time fuse, etc.). In this
manner, the usual types of ammunition and applications can
be represented by one and the same grenade model, while
illegal combinations may be recognised by firing control 35
or in evaluating device 16, as the case may be, e.g. a
contact fuse in an illuminating grenade.
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Additional charge plates 34, in the case of the simulation
shot in the form of simple plates which preferably resemble
additional charges, are inserted in respective seats between
two fins 36. In order to allow firing control 35 to
recognise how many additional charge plates have been
attached, which allows to calculate the length of the
trajectory, respective sensors 37 for the additional charge
plates are disposed between each pair of fins 36. Sensors
37 may e.g. be optical (reflection light barrier) or
inductive sensors. In the case of inductive sensors, plates
34 are made of metal or of a metallised support material.
Transmitter 17 is disposed at the lower end of tail surfaces
33.
The description of this exemplary simulation shot also shows
that an ejection by a reduced propelling charge involves
additional difficulties: even a reduced propelling charge
would produce high temperatures in the tail surfaces, the
propelling gases resulting from the combustion of the
propellant are very hot and under high pressure, and firing
control 35 within the grenade is subject to a high
acceleration, thus exposing firing control 35, sensors 37,
and transmitter 17 to the risk of being damaged and
correspondingly requiring an expensive temperature-,
pressure-, and acceleration-resistant design of these
components.
FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of firing control 35. It
includes a central unit 41 which essentially consists of a
microcontroller. As an energy source 43, a capacitor of an
extremely high capacity is used, e.g. a gold-cap capacitor
known per se. On account of the nevertheless small
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available energy, the firing control is switched on by an
inclination sensor 42 only when the angle of the grenade
with respect to the horizontal direction is in the range of
the elevation of the mine thrower simulator (e.g. 45 to
90 ) .
The energy source is preferably charged while the grenade is
stored in a special transport container (not shown). For
this purpose, the transport container is provided with a
battery, inter alia. The energy may be transmitted by
electric contacts on grenade 8 and in the container or in a
wireless manner e.g. by inductive means.
As energy source 43 is so dimensioned that its energy is
essentially used up after a shot, the unrealistic immediate
reuse of the grenade after its "firing" is excluded.
Rather, after firing, the grenade must be returned to the
transport container and left therein until the energy source
is recharged.
In the case of energy sources having a greater capacity, it
is necessary for a realistic simulation that the grenade is
deactivated after firing or generates a special signal which
indicates that the grenade has been reused.
Central unit 41 actuates transmitter 17 which generates
light signals 18 for the transmission of data.
Further, optional sensors 44 may be provided in addition.
For example, a luminosity sensor responding to the absence
of light in tube 3 could be used in combination with
inclination sensor 42 in order to detect a shot, or an
acceleration sensor which detects the shot by the impact of
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grenade 8 on the bottom of the launcher tube, on the
deflecting device or on the base plate individually or in
combination with inclinometer 42. Furthermore, it is
possible to use other sensors incorporated in the grenade,
e.g. switches, optical, inductive or capacitive sensors,
individually or in combination in order to determine whether
the grenade is in the launcher tube.
The control system 51 (FIG. 7) of the thrower consists of
evaluating unit 12 and of position sensor 10 (GPS unit),
elevation/tilting sensor 52 (inclinometer) and direction
sensor 53 (compass) connected thereto. The light signals
transmitted by a grenade 8 in launcher tube 3 are received
by light detector 19 whose output signals both represent a
measure of the distance of grenade 8, i.e. of its position
in launcher tube 8, and provide information with respect to
the grenade which is transmitted by the firing control.
The firing data, i.e. all data which are necessary in order
to calculate the shot, are transmitted to evaluating unit 16
by transmitting unit 15. Energy source 54 is a battery or
an accumulator.
Furthermore, by means of control unit 55, the mine thrower
simulator can be set to represent different real thrower
types which are e.g. characterised by different calibre.
Hereinafter, a typical training sequence will be described.
The mine thrower simulator is set up and directed to a
target. The trainer continuously surveys the operations by
means of the data indicated by the evaluating unit.
According to the aimed (virtual) target and the firing
parameters, the mine thrower simulator is aligned and the
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required number of grenades is prepared by the gunner. As
the grenades are lifted up and tilted according to the
inclination of the tube, firing control 35 is activated,
provided that a fuse is screwed in and (virtually) armed.
While the grenade slides down in launcher tube 3, the
characteristic data of the grenade are transmitted to
thrower control 51, which delivers them to evaluating device
16 along with the data concerning the orientation of the
launcher tube. The evaluating device calculates the
trajectory and the point of impact on the base of these data
and/or delivers a message in the case of illegal operating
conditions.
When the grenade drops out through outlet opening 7, it is
deactivated either by lack of energy or by the fact that the
firing control is automatically blocked after the simulation
of a shot. It is also possible that data are transmitted
from the mine thrower simulator to the grenade in the
launcher tube for this particular purpose.
Since the described mine thrower simulator neither produces
a firing noise -- although it could be generated, as the
case may be, by a noise generator, however at a
substantially lower level, in view of a realistic simulation
-- nor are the grenades ejected, the device allows to
practice almost anywhere, e.g. also in developed areas or in
halls.
In a real mine thrower, the grenades in the launcher tube
are slowed down by an air cushion formed under them on
account of the necessary, relatively tight contact with
respect to the tube wall. Due to the outlet opening, such
an air cushion cannot form in the simulator. In view of a
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more realistic sliding time of the grenades in the tube, in
particular for the training of serial fire, the friction of
the grenades on the tube wall may be increased by suitable
measures such as a tighter fit at least locally, special
material combinations, or the attachment or insertion e.g.
of felt surfaces or similar materials on or in surface
sections of the grenades which are in contact with the tube
wall, and/or in the tube wall. In addition, it is possible
to keep outlet opening 7 closed by a cover, to drop the
grenade on the bottom of the launcher tube in the free fall
or in a retarded manner, and to open the cover preferably
after the typical delay between the insertion and the
ignition of the grenade. The cover may e.g. by opened by
the action of the own weight of the grenade, by an auxiliary
drive (motor), or by the stored energy of the descending
grenade. If it is suitably shaped, the cover may
additionally serve to remove the grenade from the launcher
tube in a relatively gentle and defined manner.
The cover may also be kept closed by an electromagnet, so
that the control system of the mine thrower simulator can
release the cover by an electric signal. Under the weight
of the grenade, possibly reinforced by its kinetic energy,
the cover is forcibly opened and the grenade slides out.
Subsequently, the cover is automatically closed by a return
spring.
A possible alternative of the controlled opening could be to
dimension the closing spring in such a manner that the cover
is automatically opened by the own weight of the grenade.
Besides, it is sufficient if the cover only closes the
outlet opening in such a manner that the grenades can no
longer fall out of the tube.
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In simulators for mine throwers which do not fire
automatically but where a grenade within the launcher tube
is externally fired, e.g. by means of a release line, a
cover of this kind or an equivalent closure device must be
provided. Only when the release is actuated, the simulation
is triggered, on one hand, and the cover opened, on the
other hand, so that the grenade can drop out.
In order to slow down the grenade while it is falling out,
the return spring element can be made so strong that an
effective braking of the grenade results from a squeezing
action between the launcher tube and the cover. In
addition, the cover may be provided with a kind of guide,
e.g. in the form of a short tube section, and/or with a
lining for an increased friction (felt or spring strips) in
order to reduce the falling velocity of the grenades.
Alternatives of the exemplary embodiment are accessible to
those skilled in the art from the description without
leaving the scope of the invention as claimed.
It is possible, for example, to provide an additional
detection unit operating according to the echo method, e.g.
an ultrasonic detector in the tube which allows to detect
the presence and movement of a grenade in the launcher tube
independently, and/or inductive sensors for this purpose on
the launcher tube.
With respect to the distinct external shape of different
types of ammunition, particularly of illuminating and
explosive ammunition, it may also be advantageous to make
the body variable, e.g. by an interchangeable envelope.
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The measuring and evaluating units provided on the simulator
may be arranged differently. It is e.g. possible that all
parts are disposed inside the launcher tube, so that only
the antenna of transmitting unit 15 is possibly mounted on
the outside. It is also conceivable to dispose the compass
at another suitable location, e.g. on base plate 2, in which
case, however, the angular difference between base plate 2
and bearing ball 14 of the launcher tube must be measured by
a suitable measuring device, e.g. an optical angular
transmitter, and taken into account in the evaluation.
Also, in the reactivation or respective recharging of
the grenades, e.g., as suggested, in the transport container, a
possibility of reprogramming the grenades e.g. as explosive
or illuminating ammunition could be provided. In this
manner, only one kind of programmable ammunition would be
sufficient for the simulation of a large number of real
ammunition types. The programming, and maybe even the
connection of a fresh energy source, could also be effected
by the exchange of the envelope (see above).
